Hand-covering



E. KRAMER.

HAND COVERING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20. I920.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 16, 1921- Application filed February 20, 1920. Serial No. 380,076.

Toal lwhomz'tmaycmwern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD KRAMER, a

. citizen of the United States, residing at Mishawaka, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand Coverings, of which the following is a specification. 4

This invention relates to improvements in hand coverings and more particularly to an improved glove especially designed for wear by those engaged in placer mining although it is not restricted to this use as it possesses advantages which recommend it to all who are required to handle tools and particularly such tools as shovels, picks, and the like.

It is a well known fact that the human hand normally assumes a more or less cupped condition as distinguished from a condition in which the fingers would be substantially straight and the palm practically flat, and, of course, when the hand is engaged in hold ing any material in the palm or in grasping the handle of any tool, its assumes this condition to an even more marked degree. Notwithstanding this fact it has heretofore been customary to manufacture all gloves with substantially straight or fiat palm and finger portions so that when the hand is naturally cupped to hold any material therein or to grasp the handle of a tool, the alm of such a glove will become wrinkle or bulged,

thus greatly lessening the capacity of the hand and causing discomfort and annoyance through the wrinkles being pressed against the surface of the palm. Therefore, the invention has as its object to provide a glove so constructed that thepalm and finger portions thereof will initially be of a shape to substantially conform to the cupped contour of the human hand with the result that when the hand is employed in holding any material as, for example, when examining pay dirt in the course ofplacer mining, the capacity of the hand will not be decreased, and, when the hand is employed in working with tools such, for example, as picks and shovels, the palm and finger ortions of the glove will not be appreciab y wrinkled to cause discomfort or nterfere with the work.

As placer mining renders desirable the use of waterproof gloves, it is another object of the invention to provide a rubber or rubberized "glove possessing the features abovewhat stiffer than the back of the glove and,

briefly pointed out.

, palm and fin In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a glove desi ed in accordance with'the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the glove in its normal condition or shape;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view takdn substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In thedrawings, the numeral 1 indicates in general the palm of the glove, the numeral 2 the back thereof, the numeral 3 the finger stalls, and the numeral 5 the wrist portion of the glove. This latter portion is provided at one side with a sset 6 and with any suitable buckle or sim1 ar device 7 for closing the gusset and drawing the wrist portion snug y to which the glove is applied. However, this is not an essential feature of the invention and if desired the wrist portion might be formed of some elastic material or composition of materials so as to .cause it to normally assume a contracted condition and thus snugly fit the wrist.

.The body of the love may be formed of about the wrist of the hand.

any suitable materia or composition of materials but preferably the same comprises a,

or left unlined either as desired. In the 1 which has been produced by any appropriate method, has applied to its exterlor surface a coating of rubber indicated in general by the numeral 9, this coating being vulcanized to the fabric or other material comprising the foundation of the glove so as to become an integral part with the foundation. In this process of coating the foundation, the palm and finger portions of the glove will be molded so as to assume a shape conforming substantially to the cupped contour of the rs of the human hand when in repose, the ongitudinal inward curvature of the palm and finger portions being most clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings and the transverse inward curvature of the palm being best shown in Fig. 3. By reference to these figures it will also be observed that the coating 9 is of greater thickness at the palmand inner sides of the fingers of the glove than at the back thereof so that the palm and inner sides of the finger portions are somemanufacture of the glove, the foundation 8 being thicker serve to more adequately protect and cushion the palm of the hand under working conditions while on the other hand the comparative thinness of the back ofthe glove provides the desired freedom of movement of the hand. Inasmuch as the palm' and inner sides of the finger portions are somewhat stiffer than the back of the glove,-

they will tend to resist opening movement of the hand, but may be readily moved toward each other in the act of grasping a tool. In practice the wrist portion 5 of the glove will ikewise be rubberized although the coating of rubber applied to this portion will be relatively thln so as to not in any wa interfere with freedom of movement 0 the wrist.

From the foregoing description of the invention it will be understood that the glove is in the process of manufacture, shaped to conform to the shape of the hand when in repose, the palm and inner sides of the finger portions of the glove bein therefore continuously inwardly curved ongitudinally' of the love, and the said palm portion being furt er transversely curved inwardly so'that this latter portion initially is of a cupped shape. It will further be evident that in the use of such a glove, a maximum uantity of material ma be held in the aim thereof without like ihood of being ischarged 'or 4. dislodged because of wrinkling of the palm as has heretofore been the case in the use of gloves having initially flat palm portions, and likewise when the hand is engaged in handling tools a firmer grasp may be given the handle of the tool and no-discomfort will be caused on account of any wrinkling of the palm of the glove. i

It will be understood that'the principles 40 of the invention may be embodied in mittens as well as gloves.

Having thus described what is claimed as new is:

A hand covering initially shaped to conform substantially to the shape of the human hand in repose and therefore having a, cupped palm portion and curved finger portions, the said covering comprising a foundation of fabric, and a coating of rubber applied and intimately united thereto and continuously covering the back, palm, and finger portions of the foundation the coating at the palm and inner sides of the finger portions being considerably thicker than atthe back and the outer sides of the fingenportions, whereby the relatively thick portion of the coating and its intimate union with the non-elastic fabric foundation at the the invention,

cupped alm portion and inner sides of the curved nger portions will serve to retain the hand covering in its initi..lly molded shape.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EDWARD KRAMER. L1 s.] 

